Six-day workweek begins in Greece as CBS Morning Show Topic

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After the European media, the six-day workweek that came into force in our country on July 1 became the topic of the American CBS morning show. And all this at a time when other countries are considering and implementing a reduction of the five-day workweek to four days!

Major English-language media outlets that picked up the story include Fortune, CNBC, The Guardian, BBC, DW and the Washington Post, to name a few.

“Countries all over the world, companies all over the world are talking about reducing the five-day workweek to a four-day workweek,” the journalist said, adding, “And here is Greece, where they have decided to extend the five-day workweek… to a six-day workweek.” – said journalist Tony Dokoupil, and his colleagues on the set were left with their mouths open.

Someone even asked if the workers would be given anything in return or more days off. “Nothing like this”, – the presenter commented, and then ironically quoted statements by Kyriakos Mitsotakis that “This legislation is based on worker-friendliness and is deeply development-oriented.”

In conclusion, Tom Dokoupil noted that Greeks work 300 hours more than Europeans and 70 hours more than Americans.

@cbsmornings Greece is extending its work week to six days — or 48 hours — as some companies around the globe pivot to shorter work weeks. #greece #work ♬ original sound – CBS Mornings

Prime Minister Mitsotakis said the initiative was taken in response to Greece's declining population and a shortage of skilled workers. The law was passed in 2023 and faced stiff opposition from trade unions. According to the law, employees of private companies offering certain services will be able to work more hours per day or an additional 8-hour shift in exchange for a 40% higher pay for the extra hours (day).

Kyriakos Mitsotakis says the law takes workers' interests into account, but the backlash has been significant, especially given that Greece is already the country where workers work harder than anywhere else in Europe, according to Eurostat.

Besides the length of the working day, the Greeks are one of the the least happy people in Europe with their limited free time and some of the worst paid jobs in all of Europe.

Meanwhile, Greeks are ranked 4th in the European Union for risk of poverty, according to Eurostat.

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